Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Thus, gaming manufacturers continuously strive to develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
Traditionally, a person who wishes to play an electronic wagering game will visit a casino or other known gaming establishment and play such wagering games on a free-standing electronic or electro-mechanical gaming terminal. With such gaming terminals, the user plays the wagering game while standing or sitting in front of the terminal, inserting coins or other forms of credit, and manipulating one or more player input devices to interact with the game. Oftentimes, a patron will stay at a single gaming terminal for several hours, attempting to build up large cumulative winnings Notwithstanding the widespread use and presence of these machines, most prior art gaming terminals fail to provide adequate, much less convenient, storage for personal effects, such as coats and purses, or resting places for food, drinks, or other items that players often have with them while patronizing a casino or gaming establishment.
With the increased popularity and profitability of casinos throughout the country, casino operators are attempting to make their establishments as “user friendly” as possible to increase patronage and, thus, maximize the profitability of the casino. In this regard, some prior art gaming terminals have been designed with convenience features, such as ash trays, cup holders, and food trays, to provide a secure and convenient place to rest a cigarette, drink, or snack while playing a game of chance in the casino. Very little attention has been paid to convenience features for patrons who wish to safely and securely stow personal valuables, such as purses, jackets, and the like. This issue is exacerbated by criminals who target players who carelessly stow their personal effects on the floor or in the space between adjacent terminals, and patrons who hang their purses and jackets on the back of a stool or chair, all of which are out of the player's immediate line of sight. Additionally, players have been known to forget purses and other personal effects after they finish playing a wagering game and leave the gaming terminal.